Ever wonder what's in your child's school lunch?

Recently I decided to go to my son’s school and have lunch with him to see what the school serves. I was a little surprised. We have been paying $2.10 per day for him to eat lunch. I brought my lunch and sat down with him. He picked around at his food and barely ate anything on the tray. He did finish his chocolate milk. I have to say, I wouldn't have eaten the food on the tray either. It didn't even resemble food. It smelled like food but did not look edible. I ended up splitting my turkey sandwich with him. I asked him if he likes the food the cafeteria serves. He looked up at me as if he was scared to answer. Then he quietly said “No, it’s gross. I only drink my milk. I’m sorry Mommy.” My heart sunk in my chest and I felt terrible. I was sending him to school each day with a full belly from breakfast but he wasn't eating lunch. I decided that day that I would pack his lunch every day going forward. We actually pack it together so I know he’s choosing items he likes and that he will eat.  

After having three children, I've found that making school lunch at home is much healthier than buying school lunch. Your children will actually eat the food they have in their lunch and it’s cheaper too. His favorite is a turkey roll up. I purchase thicker sliced turkey breast from the deli and roll it up for him. He chooses a drink option of milk, juice or water then a side like carrots, celery or strawberries and usually string cheese. 

Do your children eat school lunch? If not, what are some of your lunch options that you pack for your kids?

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Here's 10 things you need to start doing now to live a full healthy life.

Originally this was a list of about 30 things. Quickly after I started writing this I decided it really should be a lot shorter. I chose to only list 10 things because after all, who wants to read about 30 or 40 things lol. Personally I would get to number five and be done. This list is really a list of things I wish I could tell my younger self. Not that my younger self would listen :)

1. I really wish I had learned this sooner. This is the most important thing you can do for yourself. STOP caring what other people think. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what other people think. You are in charge of your life, never hand that power over to anyone else. The sooner you realize this, the better off you will be.

2. Drink lots of water. Doctors recommend you drink at least eight ounces right when you wake up. This kick starts your body for the day and helps you wake up. Your brain works best when it's hydrated.

3. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses everyday. Gone are the days of trying to get that perfect tan. You only get one body of skin and two eyes. Take care of them. Find a good sunscreen for your face and apply it before you put your makeup on. Do it everyday and you will prevent wrinkles, dark spots and most importantly skin Cancer. Oh and never leave your house without your sunglasses. 

4. The above quote is one of my favorites. "No matter how slow you go you're still lapping everyone on the couch." It really makes a great point. Get some sort of exercise everyday. Even something as simple as taking a walk after dinner will benefit you. You will notice yourself feeling better within a week.

 

5. Schedule an appointment to see your physician every year. This will ensure you keep up on your health and enable your physician to catch any problems before they escalate into something big.

6. Always wear your seat belt. This doesn't need explanation, right?

7. Meditation is great for so many reasons. A few of my favorites are lower blood pressure, better nights sleep, reduced anxiety, reduced stress, lower cholesterol levels and it helps you become more mindful.

8. Try and add one or two fruits or veggies to every meal. This is a great way to prevent over eating. It will also help you eat better as you will make a concise effort to include something healthy in every meal.

9. Schedule a coffee date with an old friend. It's always good to connect with an old friend but it's also good for your health. Relax and enjoy the conversation.

10. Plant a tree. It's great to get your hands dirty and help the environment. That tree will produce oxygen for you and others to breathe in the future.

I know I said 10 but I really couldn't help myself. So here's 10 1/2 :) Be kind to everyone you meet. Just try it, maybe you will surprise yourself. Being kind is contagious so get ready to spread kindness.

New year, new you.

  Congratulations you have made it another year. This means you must have made and kept a few New Year’s resolutions in 2014. Most people choose to lose weight, eat better and get healthy.  As soon as you encounter your first cheat day, you get discouraged and want to quit. This is silly because you set a goal for a reason. No one ever said you couldn’t trip up along the way. I mean, that’s human nature and you can’t avoid that. What you can avoid is giving yourself a hard time. Stop doing that, it’s not productive at all. Give yourself a chance and start over. Losing weight, eating better and getting healthy doesn’t happen overnight. This will take time and over time you will see results. Even if you have a cheat day, you will see results. You have a whole year to prove yourself right. As a busy Mom of three I have had plenty of cheat days. It’s not easy when you are chauffeuring your children all around town to soccer practice, dance recitals, and school events. There is always a drive-thru within five miles of where you are. This does not make for good odds. The good news is you have an excellent reason to stay on your healthy path. Your kids are watching every choice you make and they will remember them. Set a good example for them now and they will automatically make good choices later. Here is what helps me stay clear of the drive-thru. I am a big fan of snacks. I buy the snack bags from the grocery store and I pack them with healthy snacks on Sunday night.  This way I have a pre measured snacks ready to go. I put them in the kids backpacks and add them to my purse. 

This year try to focus more on how many calories you burn instead of how many you eat. This way you will shift your focus to being active instead of what you're eating. 

Doritos are healthier than Sun Chips. Check your child's lunch!

I've been packing my sons lunch for years after seeing what the school was serving him. The food I was paying for didn't even look edible. I decided to pack his lunch everyday. Now I have yet another concern with the lunches I'm packing him. I usually give him a slice of turkey rolled up or a PB&J, a slice of string cheese, a bag of sun chips or Doritos and Capri sun juice drink or Sunny D. After reading the article about the Fed Up Movie I decided to see for myself what was really inside my sons food. I really couldn't believe all the items that contain added sugar. 

First I checked his Capri sun juice drink. The nutrition facts are not listed on the individual juice drinks so I checked the box. It says 100% fruit juice all over the box so you think you are making a good decision for your children. Now for the sugar content...........  This juice contains 21 grams of sugar. 

I sometimes switch his Capri sun drink for a Sunny D. I was equally surprised to find that this had a lower amount with 19 grams of sugar. 

Here are a few examples of the chips I pack in his lunch. On the left you see Doritos and on the right you see Sun Chips. I buy Sun Chips because I think they are the better and healthier choice. Looking at the nutrition facts I found that Sun Chips have 3 grams of sugar and 10 grams of fat. I then read the Doritos nutrition facts and found that they contain less than 1 gram of sugar and 8 grams of fat. So the Doritos are a better and healthier choice for my son. Boy was I fooled. I even choose to eat the Sun Chips as I thought they were healthier.   

I hope you consider checking out what's really in the food your feeding your family.  I can't imagine outliving my children all because of our food choices. 

Please share this with someone you love. 

This documentary will give you better insight into the food we are putting in our mouths. I highly suggest you check it out Fed Up the Movie